This invention relates to footballs, and, more particularly, to a football which simulates a football with a sewn leather cover.
The invention is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,518. As described in that patent, footballs with sewn leather covers have a shape and feel which are preferred by many players for official competition. However, such footballs are expensive, and buyers of footballs often choose to purchase footballs with rubber or synthetic covers which are not sewn.
The '518 patent describes an attempt to make a football with a non-sewn cover which simulates the shape and feel of a sewn leather football. However, the football of the '518 patent has cover panels which are spaced apart and which expose simulated seams. The simulated seams are provided by raised portions on side panels underneath the cover panels. The simulated seams do not have the appearance or feel of the seams of a traditional sewn leather football.